Papa lion crouches down to meet his baby cub for the first time

September 26th, 2019

By Ashley Brewer

Contributor at Animal Channel

If there’s one thing that can bring the internet together, it’s baby animals.

Baby animals are the best! It doesn’t matter what kind of animal. When it’s a baby? They’re adorable! We can’t get enough viral videos of giraffes walking clumsily for the first time or baby otters frolicking around in the water. If a baby animal is involved – we want it. And this precious video is no exception.

The video was shared by the Denver Zoo on Facebook in early September of 2019 and since it was posted, it’s been viewed nearly half a million times. Along with the video, the zoo shared the caption:

“This week’s Meru, Moremi or Tatu #cubdate comes with some exciting news: the cub has met his dad, Tobias, and big sister Kamara! Already 12 lbs, this little lion is climbing up the ranks in the world – as in he literally loves climbing everything and that includes Aunt Sabi and Kamara! Want to help us name him? Stop by the Zoo to cast your vote or make a donation online! Here’s how: https://bit.ly/2ZDtJ4O“

According to Bored Panda, the lion cub was born at the zoo on July 25, 2019.

“He’s spent the last couple months bonding with his mom (Neliah), dad (Tobias) and half-sister (Kamara) behind the scenes at Predator Ridge at Denver Zoo, and will soon make his big public debut in one of the outdoor habitats,” Jake Kubié, the director of communications explained. “He’s all the things you might expect of a lion cub: playful, curious and energetic!”

The zoo has been sharing swoon-worthy “cubdates” as the little lion baby grows up and experiences new things and learns new skills. As you may have noticed from their Facebook post, the zoo is still looking for a name for the baby boy’s name. As of right now, it’s been narrowed down to Tatu (which is the Swahili word for the number three (as the cub is the mother’s third offspring))and Meru (which is the name of a mountain in Tanzania).

“Everyone is extremely excited and anxious to pay him a visit once he makes his public debut,” Jake commented about the public’s excitement about the cub. “The weekly updates we’ve been posting to our social channels are met with an outpouring of “Ohhs” and “Ahhs.” [and] we’re doing our best to give everyone their cub fix while they wait to see him in person!”

Not only did the lion cub get to meet his dad for the first time, but his older sister, Kamara, who is 4-years-old.

“She is just the most attentive and affectionate older sister,” Denver Zoo’s Instagram account posted.

And although the lions are undeniably cute, the zoo wants people to actually realize that these animals are in danger in the wild. They hope that their love for the lions will inspire others to get involved with animal welfare.

“It’s very important to remember that half of African lions have disappeared in the last 25 years and face growing threats, such as poaching, loss of prey and destruction of habitats in their native ranges” the Denver Zoo representative stressed to Bored Panda. “We hope that by seeing our little lion cub, people will be inspired and take action to help protect his wild counterparts and other wildlife around the world,” he added.

The Denver Zoo prides themselves on running many initiatives to operate conservation programs, not only at the zoo but in the community as well. In addition to that, the zoo offers educational programs, volunteer opportunities, and an “Adopt an Animal” program.

Watch the sweet interaction between father and son in the video below.

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This week's Meru, Moremi or Tatu #cubdate comes with some exciting news: the cub has met his dad, Tobias, and big sister Kamara! Already 12 lbs, this little lion is climbing up the ranks in the world – as in he literally loves climbing everything and that includes Aunt Sabi and Kamara! Want to help us name him? Stop by the Zoo to cast your vote or make a donation online! Here's how: https://bit.ly/2ZDtJ4O